Nigerians death being used as excuse to promote interculturalism

PROMOTING integration in the community where tragic teenager Toyosi Shittabey was knifed to death will be the best tribute to the slain schoolboy, councillors have said.

Fingal County Council is to convene a meeting in Tyrrelstown to discuss the provision of better facilities "to assist interculturalism and a cohesive community".

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/councils-aim-to-unite-community-where-toyosi-lived-2135682.html

Integration statistics not being collected

THERE is no formal agency collecting information, research or statistics in relation to racism and integration.

Since the disbanding of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), which carried out extensive research and acted as a bridge between communities and policy makers, there has been no coherent direction on integration policy from the government.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/integration-statistics-not-being-collected-116910.html#ixzz0kiokoABJ

Muslim group urges acceptance of niqab

THE IRISH Council of Imams, a group which represents Muslims living in Ireland, has spoken out against attempts to ban the niqab elsewhere in Europe and called on members of the religion to contribute positively to the societies in which they are living.

The council said that a ban on the niqab – a veil worn by Muslim women that covers everything except the eyes – violates personal freedoms guaranteed by democratic systems.

It added that such bans also constitute an obstacle to multiculturalism, integration and human rights.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0206/1224263887684.html

Integration changes cultures - lecturer

Prof John Berry, of Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, said young people from immigrant or ethnic minority groups were sometimes expected to keep their heritage culture only in the private sphere.

“In other words, the public culture is the culture of the dominant group and all other cultures are down and out,” he said.

Prof Berry said most interaction with immigrants tended to take place in schools or in the workplace.

Both cultures would change as a result of this interaction, and “school, health and possibly policing will be changing here in Ireland”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0430/1224245683003.html

Warning on dangers of migrant segregation

THE CLUSTERING of migrants in some areas may develop into segregation unless social integration is made a key aim of housing policy, according to a Government-funded report to be published tomorrow.

Although it has found there is currently little evidence of segregation, the study warns this could change where low incomes narrowed newcomers' choice of neighbourhood and Irish residents chose to move out because they felt their area had become too diverse.

The emergence of segregated schools could compound the problem.

Published by the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, this is the first major report on the relationship between housing policy and integration.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1008/1223335466229.html

Gardai seek Arabic recruits

The Gardai have launched a campaign to attract its first Arab recruits.

Posters advertising a new round of recruitment were today on the force’s website, with appeals in Arabic to join up.

The gardai already have several Chinese officers and now want to extend its cultural mix by recruiting Arabic speakers.

The campaign does not expressly state it but some of those who sign up may join the gardai’s fight against extremism.

However, it is thought that the vast majority of recruits would be assigned to the frontline in day to day uniform police work.

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/gardai-seek-arabic-recruits-1490989.html

Ireland ‘must act’ to avoid race crisis

IRELAND must seize the window of opportunity it has to ensure it doesn’t end up with the same racial problems as Paris, Amsterdam and London, a community activist said yesterday.

Fergus McCabe, who has worked in Dublin’s north inner city for 30 years, said there have been incidents in the area of groups of Irish children and foreign nationals “squaring up” to each other on the street.

“We either try to get things right now, while we have a window of opportunity, or we will be facing the sort of problems we see in other countries,” he said.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=73818-qqqx=1.asp